Alexanders Come “Home” & Local Man in Indy Car Victory Circle

Episode 19

August 18, 2014

Homecoming of sorts for the Alexander Family

Bobby Alexander on right receiving winner's trophy from Spud Speedway owner Barry Thibeau in the mid-70's.

Bobby Alexander on right receiving winner’s trophy from Spud Speedway owner Barry Thibeau in the mid-70’s.

Maine Motorsports Hall of Fame 2014 inductee Bobby Alexander celebrated with his family at the track where his racing career began, Spud Speedway. Alexander dawned the driving suit for the first time in 20 years at the Caribou track as he took the wheel in the #27 Autism Awareness NELCAR legend race car owned by Mike Humphrey of Cornish. Grandson Wyatt Alexander was in the family owned #96 Legends car that placed second in the 25 lap feature race.
Three brothers and one sister were in attendance, as well as several nieces, nephews and other family members, plus several hundred in the stands and pits were treated to a rare event at the track where a Hall of Fame member had the opportunity to race in a feature against his grandson.

“It meant a lot to me to be able to this at Spud Speedway. I want to thank Mike Humphrey for the loan of the car. Developed some engine troubles with a lot of blow-by. It was pushing oil that ended up getting on the tires which made the car very, very loose. I knew I was going to mess somebody else so I just backed off and pulled in. Oil plus rain does not mix well, ” said the happy Grandfather Alexander after the races.

After the NELCAR Legends race at Spud Speedway Bobby Alexander on left embraces grandson Wyatt Alexander after Grampy drove in the Legends race at the track where the elder began his racing career. Kristi Alexander, the proud grandmother, looks on from the background.

After the NELCAR Legends race at Spud Speedway Bobby Alexander on left embraces grandson Wyatt Alexander after Grampy drove in the Legends race at the track where the elder began his racing career. Kristi Alexander, the proud grandmother, looks on from the background.

When asked what would have happened without the late race yellow due to another racecar spinning on the front straightaway Wyatt, who was leading at the time, replied, “I probably would have ended up with a win, maybe, maybe not depending how the rain thing played out. After the yellow if I had not got loose that time coming off turn 2 I probably could have stayed next to him and got him at the line.”
A light sprinkling of rain plagued the race making for a somewhat slippery racing surface. Except for the spin late in the feature, the race ran without incident possibly attesting to driver skill, grooved tires, and good fortune.
Wyatt Alexander, when asked about driving in the same race as his grandfather at his “home” track replied, “Well that was pretty cool! Not much can describe that.”
Alexander also won the Senior Champ Kart feature in the Last Chance Motorsports #25/2 kart owned by Washburn’s Jere Humphrey. Caribou’s Tyler Raymond placed second after dogging Alexander most of the race until a spin in turn two.

Left to right third place Matt Grant of Windham, feature winner Mathew Bourgoine of Newport, and second place Wyatt Alexander of Ellsworth celebrate in Victory Circle at Spud Speedway after the 25 lap NELCAR Legends race.

Left to right third place Matt Grant of Windham, feature winner Mathew Bourgoine of Newport, and second place Wyatt Alexander of Ellsworth celebrate in Victory Circle at Spud Speedway after the 25 lap NELCAR Legends race.

Feature winner, Mathew Bourgoine of Newport said, “We had a great race with Wyatt Alexander. I think we were side-by-side for more than half the laps. We had a caution and it started raining. The track was just a little bit greasy which made it that much more fun.”
Bourgoine thought, “I got to get him on the restart. I started in a gear higher which ended up being a good call. Wyatt ended up spinning his tires on the restart and I was able to get a jump on the restart. We both went into one way too far and slid up the track. He ended going by.I ended up getting back underneath him. We fought for a long time.”
This was Bourgoine’s 17th win in a Legends car this year. It had been several weeks since his last win until last Thursday at Beech Ridge where the 18 year-old won the local Thursday Night Thunder Legends race.

Washburn Native at Victory Circle In Indy Car Racing Series

Washburn's Steve Doody, a Showcar Specialist with the Verizon Wireless Indy Car, in the center with red hat got to be part of Victory Circle celebrations at the Milwaukee Mile in Wisconsin Sunday afternoon.

Washburn’s Steve Doody, a Showcar Specialist with the Verizon Wireless Indy Car, in the center with red hat got to be part of Victory Circle celebrations at the Milwaukee Mile in Wisconsin Sunday afternoon.

Steve Doody of Washburn is a Showcar Specialist who hauls Verizon’s Indy Car to a variety of venues in 2014, was able to be part of Will Powers Victory Lane celebration in Sunday’s race at the famed Milwaukee Mile in Wisconsin. Doody does not get to every Indy Car race but has attended a few which coincide with his show car schedule.
Fortunately for Doody this trip ended in Victory Circle when Power won the race as well as the pole position and led the most laps.
Doody’s Facebook post read, “Awesome day at the races today. There was one of the biggest crowds in Verizon IndyCar Fan Village we have seen this year. Plus celebrating the win in victory lane with the Penske Verizon crew was icing on the cake.”

For Penske Racing it was a very successful day as Juan Pablo Montoya placed second. Montoya returned to Indy Car after several years in the NASCAR Sprint Cup series.
Finishing third was Target Chip Ganassi’s Tony Kanaan with his fourth podium finish in the last five races. Kanaan’s team-mate Scott Dixon placed fourth followed by Josef Newgarden in the Sarah Fisher Hartman Racing car.

I will do an in-depth feature on Doody’s role as a Showcar Specialist in a future Up North Motorsports column.

Let’s Go Racing!

Tom Hale
Soli Deo Gloria

Tom Hale

About Tom Hale

Tom wrote 14 years as freelancer for the Bangor Daily Sports covering motorsports in Maine. Now blogging and concentrating on human interest stories about people and places in racing. He races Champ Karts and owns HTF Motorsports in remote Westmanland, Maine